Danny Elfman

Daniel Robert Elfman (born May 29, 1953 in Los Angeles, California) is an American singer-songwriter with rock band Oingo Boingo throughout the 1980s, who has since gone on to become one of the most sought-after composers working in Hollywood today.

Living in a racially mixed community in the Baldwin Hills of Los Angeles, Danny was known as 'the whitest white kid'. He spent much of his time in the local theatre, adoring the music of such idols as Bernard Hermann and Franz Waxman. Dropping out of high school, he followed his brother to France, where he played his violin on the street and later teamed up with his big brother to perform with Le Grand Magic Circus, an avant-garde musical theatrical group.
After a while of life in France, Danny moved on to a new setting; Africa. He travelled through Ghana, Mali and Upper Volta, learning about many different styles of music and also how to play different instruments. One such musical style he learned of was called Highlife, which was a great influence to him for years to come. He happened to catch malaria during his one-year stay and was often sick. Long periods of time would go by back home in America without a word f...